Media Executives Lobbying With the Stars

Over the weekend, top executives of media companies, newspapers and radio enjoyed mixing with celebrities and political leaders at the White House Correspondents Dinner. As news organizations become part of larger media and entertainment companies, their lobbying interests often mix news and entertainment legislative concerns. Media organization lobbyists placing a celebrity next to a legislator or executive branch official can get a nice thank you that could make for a more pleasant reception when serious lobbying is needed later on.

Media organizations lobby the executive and legislative branches just like other interest groups in Washington. D.C. Some of these organizations have many areas of legislative interest, and only one overall expenditure figure is reported. Here are some of the players and their lobby spending in the first quarter of 2013: